Electric propulsion system for cars



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(No Model.) i v G. H..1VIELOTTB l ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR CARS. LNo. 555,783. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

(No Model.)

G. H. MELOTTE.

ELBGTRIC PROPULSIUN SYSTEMy FOR GARS.-

Il Il 1| Il Il Il Ii Patented Mar.

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lhvirnn @rares GEORGE II. MELOTTE, OF MARSH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,783, dated March 3,1896. Application filed August 15, 1395. Serial No. 559,327. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE ll. Mnnorrn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Marsh, in the county of Chester, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Systems for thePropulsion of Gars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in electric systemsfor the propulsion of cars, and has for its object to provide suchdevices as will render the construction of underground and overheadsystems more economical and effective than has heretofore been the case;and with these ends in view my invention consists in the details ofconstruction an d combination of elements Ihereinaftersetforth and thenspecifically desi gnated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same I will describeits construction and operation in detail, referring by numbers to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication, and inwhich- Figure lis a sectional elevation of a car and conduit, showingthe relative position of the feed-wire and the accumulator-bar carriedby the car, by which the electric current is taken from said feed-wireto the motor; Fig. 2, a plan view of a track, showing a conduit in thecenter thereof with the arrangement of feed-wires therein; Fig. 3, across-section at the line m of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a similar view showing amodification of the Stringing of the line-wire; Fig. 5, a section takenat the line y y of Fig. d, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig.G, a plan view showing the arrangement of an overhead feed-wire; Fig. 7,an elevation of a car provided with a modiiied form of insulator, andFig. S a plan view showing a modification of an overhead feedwire.

Referring to Figs. l, 2, and 3, in which my improvement is shown inconnection with an underground conduit, l represents a car of usualconstruction, which may be provided with the ordinary electric motor andmechanism for its propulsion, and 2 are brackets depending from eitherend of said car and 4adapted to travel in an ordinary slotway 3,

formed in the road-bed.

4 represents a conduit, which may be of any desired shape, covered bythe cap-rails 5, whose edges so terminate in proximity to each other asto form the slotway 8. G are insulating-hooks secured to J[he cap-railsin such manner as to form supports for the feedwire 7 These hooks arearranged in pairs opposite each other upon either side of the conduit,so that the feed wire in passing from one to the other is bent at rightangles to form the contact-sections 8, and as these sections cross theslot 3 at right angles it will be seen that they are in the path oftravel of the accumulator-bar 9, which is supported by the brackets 2and extends beneath the car from one end to the other. Thesecontactsections are so disposed relative to the length of theaccumulator-bar that the latter will at all times be in contact with oneor more of said sections. Thus it will be seen that a car passing alonga track will be kept in constant communication with the source ofelectric power.

In order to prevent leakage from the feedwire, it maybe covered by asuitable insulating material throughout its length, except at thecontact-sections, and as these form but a small proportion of the totallength of the wire the amount of lost current will be proportionatelysmaller.'

To obviate the liability of a cross being had with the contact-sectionsthrough the slot, I may arrange a frame l0 to one side of the cond uit,as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and Zigzag the feed-wire across this frame orcross the contact-sections vertically, similar to those shown in Fig. 2,and the accumulator-bar vto be used in connection with this arrangementwould be offset to one side of the brackets 2, in order that it mayreadily come in contact with the feed-wire thus arranged.

By my improvement, as above described, I am enabled to equip asurface-road that has been provided with cable-propulsion with but verylittle expense, as no alteration is necessary in the conduit orroad-bed, and the only addition necessary would be the insulatinghooks,when the feed-Wire could be strung thereon, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,when the IOO system would be ready for the use of properly-equippedcars. rihis is of great advantage to roads which have been equipped witha cable system, as it obviates the necessity of the reconstruction oftheir road-bed or the placing of poles and Stringing of wires overhead.

To use my improvement in connection with heavy and long-distancetransportation, such as that carried on by steam-railroads, it is onlynecessary to place a suitable frame or trough, similar to that shown inFigs. i and 5, upon the ties of such road, either in the center of therails or upon either side thereof, and so string the feed-Wire upon thisframe as to afford it proper protection and provide the locomotive ormotor with a suitable accumulator-bar, so that it will be seen that bythis arrangement power may be transmitted to railway-trains with butlittle expense of equipment.

In applying my system to overhead feedwires, as shown in Figs. G, 7 andS, I place the poles 11 alternately upon either side of the road-bed andstring the wire zigzag, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, or run itlongitudinally, as shown in Fig. G, with the cross contact-sections 12,and provide the car with an accumulator comprised of the levers 13,which are pivoted to lugs 14. Upon the top of the car and journalcd inthe upper ends of these levers are the pulleys 15, around which passesthe endless accumulator -wire 1G. '17 are springs adapted to bear uponthe arms 1S, so as to force the pulleys from each other, which will havea tendency to keep the accumulator-wire taut.

The operation of this construction will be as follows: `As a car passesbeneath the contact-section 19 the upper side of the accumulator-wire 1Gwill come in contact with said section, making the circuit between thefeed wire and the motor, and, as the accumulatorwire is free to travelaround the pulleys 15, it follows that but little friction will begenerated at the points of contact, as the upper side of saidaccumulator-wire will travel rearward at about the same rate of speed asthe car travels forward. The pulleys being springactuated, the wire 16will accommodate itself to varying pressures of the feed-wire, or, incase it is desired to adapt the wire 1G to raise and lower, in orderthat it may be accommodated to a feed-wire which varies in height fromthe ground, the levers 13 may be made longer and set at an angle afterthe manner of the ordinary trolley-pole, when they will workin unison.It is obvious that this arrangement of accumulator-wire will workequally as well in connection with the form of feed-wire shown in Fig.6, as it is only necessary to provide contact-sections which cross thepath of travel of said accumulatorwire. The electric current afterpassing from the accumulator to the motor completes its circuit throughthe wheels of the car and rails of the track, as is usual.

I am aware that a number of modifications might be made in the exactconstruction of the accumulator and the mode of stringing the feed-wirewithout departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore donot wish to be limited to the exact constructions and modes shown anddescribed, as my invention rests in the broad idea of so Stringing thefeedwire as to present contact-surfaces athwart the path of travel ofthe accumulator adapted to transmit the current from said wire tothemotor.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and usefulisy 1. A trolley-wire so strung as to cross the path of the trolley atdefinite intervals in alternate directions and a trolley of such alength as to always be in contact with one or more of such crossings, asand for the purpose described.

2.' An insulated feed-wire strung s o as to cross the path of a trolleyat definite intervals in alternate directions, said crossings being bareof insulation and a trolley of such length as to always be in contactwith one or more crossings, for the purpose described.

3. An underground feed-wire inclosed in a casing and strung alternatelyfrom top to bottom of said casing and a trolley adapted to make contactwith said feed-wire between the points of connection with the casing, asand for the purpose described.

4. A feed-wire strung so as to cross the path of a trolley at definiteintervals and a trolley composed of a iiexible conductor strung onwheels which are journaled to arms, said arms being pivotcd to lugs andspring-pressed so as to keep the iexible conductor taut said wheelsbeing of sufficient distance apart to keep the flexible conductor incontact with one or more crossings, as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE II. MELOTTE.

lVitnesses S. S. WILLIAMSON, SAMUEL L. TAYLOR.

